When did the archetype of wizards wanting to become god come about?

[trancejeremy]

Which came first, the D&D Immortals rules (which allowed PCs to become gods, more or less), or Dragonlance?

Anyway, as to Simon Magus. Basically, it depends on who you ask/believe, but some say that he was a member of a religion which basically taught that everyone can/will be gods, they just have to learn how.

Wizardry or magic tricks (like Simon Magus, or even Jesus) are just a side effect. As a person becomes aware of his or her divine nature, they can exert influence over the universe.

Sort of like the movie, The Matrix. Only this reality/universe is The Matrix, and you sort of wake yourself up on your own, not by meeting Lawrence Fishburne.

Anyway, whether or not it's true, people have believed this for a very long time. But it really blossomed at the end of the 19th century or so

 

[Lothaire]

IIRC, there's a greek myth about the Origin of the Spider where a woman claims she's a better weaver than one of the Fates.

Actually she claimed that she was a better weaver than Athena.

And Pythagoras (You know that guy that came up with A squared + B squared = C squared for right triangles) was the founder of a Greek religious cult which believed it was possible for people by living their lives according to certain tenets to gradually become suprahuman, eventually reaching unity with the Monad, a sort of singular divine essence.

 

[Ragnar Rocker]

Sorry to get OT, but is this the same Jack Carter who frequents the OG?